A variable dendronotid among hydroids and algae. The orange colouring, visible within the translucent greyish-white body, comes from the animals last meal sitting in its digestive gland. Photo by Christina Meschkat.

IdentificationThis small, translucent nudibranch can be greyish-white to pinkish or purplish. The animals latest meal may be visible in its digestive system (which extends into the cerata), and may make its translucent body appear a different colour than it really is; click here for an example of a variable dendronotid that recently ate something orange. The variable dendronotid has sparsely-branching cerata, the main branches of which are tipped with opaque white or orange-ish to brownish. There is an opaque white line running down the middle of the tail. This nudibranch gets to 5 cm long. Click here for more images of this species.

*D. albus and D. diversicolor were considered separate but very similar species until recently, when taxonomists determined they were variants of the same species. The name D. albus was given priority.

Habitat & RangeThe variable dendronotid can be found on and amongst hydroids in rocky and kelp forest habitats in the intertidal and shallow subtidal. Its range extends from central Alaska to northern Mexico.

Similar SpeciesThis species has more sparsely branched cerata than other similar dendronotids — nudibranchs with many branching gill tufts (cerata) along their backs.